When Bass helped her through
by Loveforthestory
Summary: When nightmares came to her, revisiting a night from the past, Bass is there to help her through and show her so much more. Gently, strongly and warm against his leather jacket chest.


_I wanted to dedicate this story to my good friend, Threemagpies, this one is for you. Because wel all need somebody,just like Charlie and Bass, and friendship translates into every language and every situation._

Dream.

The images haunting her.

Dream.

Charlie woke up. Shock. Her tank wrapped around a sweaty body.

Her hands on the sheets on her sides.

_The dark, the food she had that night there to taste it again, that one glass on the bar, men circling around her. Fight. Fight back. A window, shattered glass. Her knees giving out. And then, knowing she would never made it out._

There was little light in the bedroom, the roller blind three quarters closed. Light came through it, around the lines and under it. But it didn't do nothing for the dark inside. A windowsill as a shadow in the room.

Her dark silhouette, sitting up in her bed.

xxx

_A couple of days later _Bass and Miles were busy with their bounding thing.

'Told you it would work, Miles. Going in first at that angle.' Bass smiled at his brother.

'Yeah yeah, let's get to the whiskey part now, shall we?' Miles answered.

Monroe giddy as a kid because they were planning another raid, the other guy craving a drink, her uncle with a moody face although from the very start Charlie knew how much he liked having his friend back. Connor walked next to her. Until Bass and Miles stopped.

And it was the shape of the bar, the dark wood, the dirty windows, the seedy exterior in front of her that brought back uninvited memories. Her mind drawing a line in the sand she did not want to cross.

'Yeah I think I am going to call it a night.' She said flatly. Flatly was safe now, it kept other emotions out of her voice.

Two Generals turned her way at that statement.

'You all right kid?' Miles asked, his face in a frown. She was a Matheson. And Matheson's never called it a night when in front of a bar.

'Fine. Just tired after listening to you guys all day.'

The joke was not convincing.

'Kid, you sure everything is fine?'

'Miles'. She said, too hard for her own liking as she gave away the one thing she did not want to. As she felt Connor's eyes on her and she made eye contact with Bass briefly. Their locking of eyes longer than she wanted, giving him too much from her.

She turned around, walked away from the bar. As her mind played the images in front of her again. That one bar. The filthy smell. The man behind her, then and there too. Him just in time.

It is not long when the three men were following her.

Miles looked at her. Bass looked from him to her as Connor did the same.

She knew they were following her. They won't leave her alone. She just hoped they would not ask any questions.

The nightmare will come again. And this time, he won't be there in time to save her.

xxx

Another night, another town. Charlie finished her drink, as the barstool next to her did not stay empty for long. A smelly rat sat down to her. Crisscross teeth, early fifties and a haunting look in his eyes Charlie remembered. She felt the guy next to her, before he even opened his mouth.

'Not interested so you'd better move a couple of bar stools away.'

Vaguely she heard the doors crash shut.

Her palms were sweating as she felt rage for this guy. For all the guys that fell into his category.

'But babe, you did not even give me a change..' His voice reached her, as his hand reached for her hair.

One large arm, muscled, a bandana wrapped around the wrist, caught his before he was able to move into her.

He was seething. He had seen Charlie the moment he walked in. Asshole with her. The bar was an easy going place. Charlie had already moved to the bar, wanting to get a shot after a long day. He had let the door crash shut as his only place to be was with her.

He stopped asshole's arms midair.

'You've heard of Sebastian Monroe?'

'Yeah, what of him?' The man had opened his last can of bravado, and it was all given away in his eyes.

Bass smiled, a non so long lasting smile, until his face went straight again.

'You are looking straight at him.'

He waited, giving the man not too much time to think, but enough to see the fear he wanted to see there, until he grabbed him, like he weighed nothing, turned him, crashed him, side of his face, against the bar.

'Touch her again, and I will cut you open, watch you bleed until you can do nothing more than squirm in your own blood.'

He almost snapped the assholes throat, adding more pressure on the side of his neck.

'And then, the fun will really begin.' He added coldly.

The bar went silent.

'Do you understand me?' Bass asked, his mouth close to asshole's ear.

He did not even respond. Fucking pathetic asshole.

'I said', as he shoved his face into the wood again, 'do we have an understanding?' His whole face filled with contained rage.

Asshole just nodded as Bass grabbed him one more time, before letting him go.

It was at that moment, Charlie moved past him, on her way to the door. He followed right after her, adjusting his gun in the back of his jeans, pulling his hand over his face.

Charlie felt the memories of what it was like to be in the sight of a rapist predator, or even a group them, heavy on her chest. She did not want to be this girl. Haunted by memories she wished move on, rage that she could not let them go, that they had made such an impact. More rage that somebody, he, had to get her out of this again.

They walked side by side on an almost empty street.

'You okay?'

He know the whole loathing for Monroe thing did not really include a thank you of any sorts, but her totally dismissing him, rubbed him the fucking wrong way.

Charlie heard the rough raspy tone in his voice that together with his low tone, boomed through her body. She had to stay ahead of him.

Big steps kept up with her.

They reached her place.

'God dammit Charlie, you know what, I am going to call it night.' Bass almost yelled out.

'It is just that hard to say thank you, huh?' He was fucking done with this.

She abruptly turned around, Bass not expecting her outburst.

'Because it should not be like this!' Charlie's voice peaked, booming through the night air as her face was pale, her eyes almost clouded by tears he was sure she did not want him to see.

He shoved his jaws and lips together in frustration.

He moved towards her, catching her against him, her upper body against his, as a loose arm landed on her back, the hand on her jacket. Understanding.

Pottsboro.

The city now on her list of places she did not wanted to mention. That took something for good away from her, another scar given.

The town he rescued her from gang rape and death , as Pottsboro became on the list of places that would never be any fucking place. To him.

'I know.'

Charlie felt him breath into her hair.

She cried.

He let her cry. Her hair on the top of her head resting against the side of her neck.

'Can I go inside with you?' he asked, intentionally asking her permission, the last thing she needed was a pushy guy around her, but hell, he would not leave her alone now.

She only nodded yes, in the dark soft place in his arms.

xxx

'Charlie, what are you doing?'

'Having some fun, just like you.'

'No, you are not.' He moved the glass in his hand, let the glass dangle between her fingers. as he watched her, his lips pursed together now.

Charlie licked her bottom lip, her sign for not being completely at ease. They reached a place somehow where they were able to call each other out on their bullshit.

He finally confronted her of her pattern of leaving with guys. It was none of his business, but he couldn't take the hollowness in her eyes anymore.

This was not Charlie in control, this was Charlie looking for control.

After he saved her from that asshole in the bar, he had walked her up. He had stayed. Slept on her couch. She had raised an eyebrow in protest, but he had just made himself comfortable on the couch, wished her goodnight with a hell of a grin and had gone off to sleep. She had walked into her bedroom, shutting the door but had let him stay. If she did not want him there, he know was on the other side of her front door now. Smaller, younger them him or not, all fury, she would get the job done.

He had gotten some sleep, until she had stood before him again. Her hair tousled. Her heart beating. The look on her face as a sign of what she had struggling through in her sleep. Charlie had looked at him, as the ritual of shooting up in her bed, shadows in the room and him, not there again, just out of reach to save her. They were no strangers to being up in the middle of the night.

Remember how he pulled her close before her place earlier that night, made her move from her solitude, bearing it alone, towards him.

And now, it was them again, together this time on her couch.

'It should not be like this. Like men think they have the liberty to look at me like I am some slut, taking what is not theirs to take. Gould, those men in that bar. That rat from last night.'

Bass bowed his head. An inward _dammit_ as he shook his head.

He moved closer and over to her, Tilting her head towards him.

'You are not some slut Charlie. Don't you ever say that again.' His voice was strong, just as Miles could be as he wanted to get through to her.

He gets it now. Her short flings, fucks with guys she barely knows. The angry eyes, the leaving early, the never ever mentioning of the guys.

He is not a stranger to one night's only. He fucked his way through a lot of them. But it was by choice, and he had known the opposite of those nights. Is this why she goes for meaningless fucks?

Because the alternative is simply too dawning? And boy, does he know about that.

He let out a breath between his jaws.

'And you are right, those assholes had no right to take anything from you. That's why there are fucking dead now.'

Harsh lines appeared in his face.

She could smell the whiskey on him, a warm enticing breath scent that reached hem. His strong lines of his neck just above his leather jacket close.

'I, I have these nightmares Bass.'

He knew. He had seen her, having them, not being able to do what he wanted to do. Knowing she would not tolerate him. it was why she was here now, in her living room again, with him.

'And this time, you were not there, and they...' _the flashes of man grapping flesh, as she disappears under them, panic, cold sweat, _'they just won't stop...they just..' a strangled cry, that she stubbornly tried to push back comes out of her mouth.

He was with her in a heartbeat. An arm around her.

'Shhh, hey, I was there in time, Charlie,' His voice is so calm and grounded and his jacket smells so much like him that she forgot to not lean into his arm.

She cried. She lets him comfort him as he can comfort her without belittling her. With letting her be her. It's new, it's safe. It's weird.

It's good.

' It should not be like this, it should not be like this...' She kept on repeating it, until she felt the heavy feel of comfort and his hands endlessly stroking her hair.

'I could have gotten to college, could have gotten out to have a drink in town on my own, make a life for myself. It wasn't always like this. right Bass?'

He did not know if it is her calling him name or the trust she placed in him now, that brought tears to his eyes. Maybe it's how much this world has changed.

'No sweetheart, it wasn't.'

Without realising he had used a word, he once kept for his sisters or the people dearest around him, for her, and he realised that not all in him is destroyed, that he still has a part in him that can comfort, just like he once reached out to children beside a road on his tours, or let his mom still make him a dinner after he came home, or when he had comforted Emma, or when Miles' mom got sick.

'I can't change that for you, although if there was a way, I really fucking would change it all.' Pain of that one day Miles and him had gotten Jeremy out of fight, and they could not stand it anymore.

Now fucking more pain for this girl in his arms that grew up in a world that is so unfair. She thinks is it is because they see her as a child, but she is not anymore. He doesn't. But the world out there is hell, and that is why, he knew, Miles knew, they had to take care of her, when her large amount of bravery, strength and stubbornness just was not enough to make it in this world.

They sit for god knew how long.

Easily, she found a place against his chest.

'You are right.'

'What's that?'

'About the guys I am seeing.' Her voice got filled with almost a hint of embarrassment.

'I don't blame you Charlie, you don't know anything more than a quick fuck against a wall, in a field.'

His words should offend her, but she heard the edgy pain in there, like he was almost sorry. It was the truth. She never had time for anything else. No time for the grander part of things, for feelings she had maybe touched, but never fully discovered.

Bass waited.

'I just don't know who else to let anyone in. I just don't know how to let anybody close to me.'

He realised she is trusting him now, and it made him feel like he is on the same level as Miles. And he realised at the same time he really fucking does not want to be there.

His fingers moved slowly over her upper arm. Fuck, he wanted to show her how it could be like. And he knew it would be amazing with her.

'Charlie, you deserve so much, do you have any idea how fucking strong you are?'

Charlie turned his way, still in his locking arm. He is fucking determined to show her, how it could be, their bodies locked, with admiration for her, when her needs would come first.

'Come here,' his voice is roughly edged, slow, smooth.

He moved towards her, and kissed her, somewhere on the left of her moth. It had to be there, this kiss, but fuck, he did not want to ruin this between them by doing so, by kissing her, by holding her loosely bit closely.

'Charlie..I' god, he swore he felt like a teenager again.

'Bass,' a soft whisper,' as her eyes are filled with want and curiosity.

'I think if it is anyone, it could be you.' Charlie moved up, looking at him, as her heart beats wildly in her chest.

He was still slowly touching her.

And then, right before she wanted to kiss him, he moved over to her lips, and slowly brushed her lips and all of them this time.

This time the kiss lasts. Moved into tongues meeting. Moved into making out on the couch with slow deliberate movements, playful touches.

It was late when he moved her towards the bed.

It was just the right moment when he slowly undressed her.

He lets her help him, lets her explore the muscles, with her warm fingers and smooth kisses. His shirt ends up on the pile near her bead when it is the last one that keeps the rest company.

Where her tank used to be, are his kisses now. His lips touching her skin, warm kiss by warm kiss as hot breath.

Charlie felt how easily but still slowly he moved her on the plaid on top of the bed. His eyes are serious, his jaw draped out so close to her cheeks. The line of his moustache following towards his cheeks, the curls that never manage to stay where they were needed to be, falling close to his ears. The hollow right under his adam's apple.

He moved over to her side, as her body is warm within the nook of his body. He is halfway meeting her body, leaning over her, resting on his elbow. He is taking it slow, taking time to keep his movements slow. He gently moved her legs over his, so he has her in his arms, as she is cradled in his arms.

Every time she picked up the speed, he caught her, slowing her down in their kiss, their movements, looking at her.

Charlie felt strangely comforted by him. She shouldn't.

But she is. Her legs had fallen over his upper legs, as her back rested against his upper arm that he had tucked under and over her. He took his time, letting her all of him. His cock somewhere against her ass., the wetness of his tip melting into her skin.

The palm of his hand got in touch with her curly hair, as she lets out a deep moan, realising how much he made her wait, as the tips of his fingers lay between swollen skin, her nerves on edge as he touched her core.

'I'm here.' He said lowly, his tone swept through her body, as the most powerful orgasm build up inside of her.

'Charlotte, you're safe.' His jaw locked as he watched her.

She almost lifted her hips towards his touch as she realised she wanted to let go. Bass was looking at her, his eyes intense, but at the same time gentle.

He had not even fucked her, as she was sure that no man had ever given her this.

With one cry, a moan, she came undone. And with that, tears she had locked inside too long. He was there to catch her again.

'There you go.' He whispered hoarsely as he, at the same time, pulled her closer, brushing her hair as he gave her what she needed.

He was happy to stop here, because this night is not about fucking him, although fuck, he wants her.

But then she smells him, his scent of heavy sweat on warm chest that was intoxicating. Manly, Strength. But most of all, he sees her.

She felt freely enough now, to ask for his cock with a wave of her thighs, move over to him, as her hand touched his cheek. And then, as he watched her, and every inch of her is there for him to see, she started to move. His hands going under her hair, over her shoulder blades.

'Charlie, you sure? '

And then, he saw her smirk.

'You feel too good to stop now Bass.' Mischief in her eyes, until they turn more serious.

He watched the wave of insecurity in her eyes.

'Baby, I want you. So fucking much.' His raspy voice is filled with need for her.

He looked up into eyes that used to carry so much cold hate for him, and even for herself. What else drove her on the road all the way to the fucking plains nations, all on her own? Charlie knew the risks, it was just like she had welcomed them. A punch back for her anger, for her own hate. For the things that were locked inside beauty, fierce curves and blazing attitude with a fighting spirit.

The moment he felt the surrender in her, it is easy for him to let go now too.

When she hit his cock the right way with the sway and turn of her hips he let out a deep growl.

He moved his cock deeper and completely into her, as sweet moans from her turn into desperate ones and they go faster. He growled again, slamming all the way in now, until his balls touched her skin. With one sway of her hair, he shivers inside of her again. She was straddling him now.

'Bass,' she asked panting.

'I've got you baby, come again for me..' He knew what she needed, and he helped her move faster, causing more speed and passion and her clit touching his lower belly.

When she wanted him, and only him, she moved her arms around his neck. Seeing white through the black of her closed eyes as she moved back over his cock one more time. He moved over to her, grabbing her ass, the palms of his hands under her, as he is close, and she smelled him, felt his warmth come to hear, as she got lost in the nook of him.

'You are beautiful.' It is the last damn coherent words he got out. As her body started to convulse.

It is when he moved his arms around her again, sitting up on the bed with her, meeting her, her body wrapped in his lap, without overwhelming her, she screamed her moan , one deep low rhythm, as his name filled the room because she it needs to be heard, by him. She needed to know what he was doing to her.

It is when she sought his refuge again, his mind, and balls, were not able to stop the urge. He tried to hold on, for her, making it all about her, all night, but when she shuddered in his arms he felt the surge in his balls. When she held onto him, her breasts pressing in his chest, there was no way back.

He wouldn't ask for that part of her, so he decided for them, moving her with his arms over his cock, so he can unload against her breasts, as she moved her hands into his curls, holding him in place against her chest.

'Ah fuck...Charlie..' He growled. It is the deepest growl Charlie ever heard of him, as he shut his eyes, feeling the force of his cum as his fingers jerk of his cock until he was satisfied.

There were slow kisses, as Bass chest was heaving and Charlie knew she has never seen a man like him. Beautiful, sweaty. Powerful, still as powerful as he once was and still is. From uniform to leather jacket. He is there. Sebastian Monroe. Bass.

He had been with some woman, but her. Her. God, he swore, the moments she let him in, surrendered, let him help her through, was more than a fuck. They both felt it, as he realised that the most beautiful version of Charlotte, or maybe just as beautiful as she came back to save his ass once, with her loyalty and a chance he got from her, was right here, only with him. Naked, blushed, soothed, strong, warm, with beauty.

Not much later, she fell asleep in his arms, heavily satisfied. The nightmares not the first thing on her mind. The haunting images far away and replaced by the steady rhythm of his tall body, his chest broad behind her and his arms so damn close as her wild hairs curled up on the pillow. She knew the nightmares would come, she knew maybe even a moment like Pottsboro would come. She knew this is still a hard world, not some fairytale world from books long forgotten on shelves in libraries. But he was there, he showed her how and the fact that there _was_ more.

And the asshole had not even been smug about it.

She is sure he will.

But that is for tomorrow.

Right now she fell asleep.

'Bass?'

'Yes?'

'That was real good.'

'Good baby.'

She smiled at the name he choose for her. Too sated to protest. And then he took her in his arms, turned her, scooped her up even further.

She moved a thigh over his upper leg.

'I enjoyed every fucking second of it.' He said with a scruffy voice.

She smiled again, at how much he let her know he liked having her here, in his arms.

'Me too, I think I want to do it again real soon.'

He huffed at her eagerness, as she smirked. His heart filling with happiness for the fact she is being a smart mouth again. He smiled in her hair.

'Don't you worry Charlie, I am here.'

'I'm glad.' Charlie smiled, as she finally fell asleep with her face just above his nipple, her hair as a connection between her shoulders and his upper arm and chest.

_Killing every fucking asshole that ever is going to touch you again. _He thought, as he knew that message came through to her the moment he worked his way through that bar.

He couldn't change this world they lived in, but he could keep her safe in it this night.

xxx

_Thanks for reading, it is one of those ideas in my notebook that I wanted to bring to life. I hope you enjoyed it. Love from Love_


End file.
